Furnace for the reduction of ores and for the carbonization and decarbonization of iron



uw Model.) S. G. CLARK. l FURNACE POR THE 'REDUCTION 0F ORES AND FOR THECARBONIZATION AND DBGARBQNIZATION o-P man..

No. 243,851. Patented July 5,1881. FjgJ. 1719.2. Mr l H2 x T 'x N.PETERS. FhumLithngnpher. wmhlngwn, ILC.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL G. CLARK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MORITZ M.FREED, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FURNACE FOR THE REDUCTION 0F ORES AND FOR THE CARBONIZATION ANDDECARBONIZATION OF IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 243,851, dated July 5,1881. Application filed March 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. CLARK, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Furnaces for the Reduction of Ores and Carbonization andDecarbonization of Metals, of which the followingis a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had totheaccompanyingdrawings,forming part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the furnace. Fig. 2 is avertical section of same through the center of the furnace. Fig. 3 is adetail vertical section of the upper end of the retort and inclosingstack or flue at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section at mx, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section atxm', Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section at x2 m2, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 isa horizontal section at 'w3 x3, Fig. 2.

A is' an air-supply flue, through which a part or all of the air mayenter to supply the heating-furnace C. This uepasses through the arch B,on which the retortis supported, in an ascending portion, c, and adescending portion, a', then below the hearth d of the revcrberatoryfurnace D, and so into the ash-pit and up between the bars of furnace C.

c is the door of the furnace C, and el is the-'- 5 ber D.

G and G are rake-holes, through which material may be taken out of theretort. The rake-holes Gr and Gr would be closed except when articlesarebein g removed through them.

The retort is made of material sufficiently refractory to resistinjurious effects from heat. I prefer to make itin tubular sections f ff f2, of which the lower, f, may consist of graphite or other cruciblematerial, the central, f', of fire-clay, and the upper section orsections, f2, of cast or wrought iron or other refractory material.

H is the luestack, supported on the base H', and built concentricallywith the crucible or retort, so as to leave an annularchamber'or flue,I, between the retort and stack. The upper end of the stack shouldconsist of a removable chimney-top, H2, whose removal leaves anaperture, through which the retort can be removed by sections. The stackmay be built of lire-brick, or with a lining of fire-brick, or where ahigh heat is notrequired it may be built of ordinary brick.A

J is a metallic casing.

are bricks extending from the inner side of the stack for the sidesupport of the retort. The arrangement is such that the retort, whenheated,will be in contact, or nearly in contact, with the bricks. Thesebricks, in addition to their office to support the retort, serve to mixthe ascending heated current and bring all portions of it in contactwith the retort to insure the communication of heat more perfectly 0 1to the same.

The annular chamber I is in communication with an annular chamber orflue, E', in the body or base H', said llue E being in communicationwith or forming part of the Hue E, leading from the reverberatoryfurnace.

E2 is a rake-hole communicating with the bottom of chamber E, and closedby a door, E3.

K is a hole by which the material is introduced into the upper part ofthe retort, said hole extending (see Fig. 3) through the side of thestack, and into the retort.

Opposite to the rake-hole Gr and the rakehole G are doorways Gr2 and G3in the wall of the stack, to give access Ato the said holes G and G.

This furnace may be used for the reduction or roasting of ores, or forthe carbonization of wrought-iron or decarbonization of cast-iron, orfor the deoxidation or desulphurization of iron or other ores.

The operation is as follows: The material to be acted on is fed into theretort or crucibleF until it is filled. Then the reverberatory furnace Dmay be used as an ordinary puddlingfurnace until the operation iscompleted in the retort, or sufficiently advanced to allow a part of thecharge to be drawn out. Supposin g the material in the retort orcrucible to be deoxidized iron ore, rake-hole Cr and doorway G2 areopened, and sufficient material is taken from the bottom of the crucibleto make a charge for the reverberator y furnace D, the material passingdown through the chute or due ICO E from the Crucible. The metal isballed infurnace D and taken out to be hammered into a bloom. Thecrucble may be charged with scrap-iron to be carbonized by the admixtnreof carbonaceous material, as charcoal, 8vo., when the material in thebottom of the crucible is carbonized. A bed ot'liquid slagisprepared inthe bottom ot' the furnace D and brought to the boiling-point-say 30000Fahrenheit. The carbonized iron is raked from the bottom of the crucibleand passes down chute E to the bottom of the furnace D, and itsoxidation is prevented by the covering of slag. If the iron has absorbedone per cent. of carbon, it will melt at a temperature of 2500OFahrenheit. It may be cast in ingots, (of caststeel.) Where there is asmaller percentage of carbon it forms a low grade of steel, and it canbe Welded and hammered, in the same manner as iron, into a bloom.

If the apparatus is used to make malleableiron castings, the crucible ischarged with the cast-iron articles and an oxide mixed with them for thedecarbonization. As fast as the articles are decarbonized they are rakedfrom the Crucible through hole G', andpass through flue E' and doorwayE2 into an air-tight boX to cool. When a charge is drawn from the lowerpart of the crucible a like amount of casting is charged into thecrucible at the door K.

The apparatus may be used for the reduction of copper, lead, and otherores.

In the use of the crucible as a retort for the elimination of sulphurand other impurities from ore the feed-hole K should be left open forthe escape of' the same.

The retort F, flue I, and flue-stack H are shown and described ascircular in form, (see Figs. 4 and 5;) but the form may be changedwithout any essential change in principle.

I claim as my invention- The combination of a reverberatory furnaceprovided with a flue and chute, E, a crucible or retort, F, andsurrounding stack H, with ue interposed between in communication withchute or flue E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of body H', provided with air-flue A and flue andchute E, and the iiue-st-ack H and crucible F, with space for the ascentof the products of combustion between them.

3. lThe combination ofthe body H', provided with Hue A and chamber E',furnace C D, cruciblc F, and. flue-stack H', with line-space between thestack and crucible.

SAMUEL G. CLARK.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEO. H. KNIGHT.

